Oblivion
by Spunky0ne
Summary: With the rise of the quincy king, Soul Society has collapsed and the three worlds are in chaos, the noble lords hunted to near extinction. But in a dark corner of the Rukon, a fading blossom survives. A stranger arrives in Inuzuri, seeking the once powerful head of the Kuchiki clan. But even he has no idea just how far Byakuya has fallen...yaoi,mpreg...Aizen/Byakuya, Kisuke/Ichigo
1. The Jewel

**Oblivion**

**By Spunky0ne**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**With the rise of the quincy king, Soul Society has collapsed and the three worlds are in chaos, the noble lords hunted to near extinction. But in the darkest corner of the Rukongai, a fading blossom survives. A stranger arrives in Inuzuri, seeking the once powerful head of the Kuchiki clan. But even he has no idea just how far Byakuya has fallen.**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 1: The Jewel**

Echoing footsteps sounded in the stone corridor, bringing awake the thinly dressed prisoners in the lines of cells on either side. The guards looked up briefly as the well dressed proprietor of the facility strode past, his eyes focused on the cell at the very end. He ignored all else as he approached, slowing only as he reached it. His hand slid into his pocket and produced a cold metal key that he slid into the heavy lock. The clanking sound made a shiver go through the man within. He made his body still and his breaths silent, but the man entering his cell knew already that he was awake. He moved to the prisoner's head and broke the strong kido that had lashed the man's hands to the rail at the top of the poor cot he laid on.

"You have a customer," the proprietor said tersely, yanking the slighter man to his feet and sinking his fingers into the prisoner's tumbled, raven colored hair, then pulling his head back roughly, "You are to show him a good time, give him anything he wants. Do you understand?"

The dark haired man quivered, his breath misting in the icy air of the frigid environs. The man holding him tightened his grip on the prisoner's hair painfully.

"I will kill them if you fail to please this man," he hissed warningly.

Images flashed in the prisoner's hazy mind of a violet-eyed girl and a dark-haired, sapphire-eyed man. His stomach quailing at the thought of what his captor might do to the two, he nodded silently in assent.

"Good, you understand. Come with me."

The proprietor's hand wrapped around his wrist and the man guided him out of the cell. As the two proceeded slowly back to the entrance to the upper part of the building, the prisoner found no relief in the fact that the air grew warmer, bringing life back into his frozen limbs. And although the rich smell of cooking food made his stomach rumble wantingly, he felt too nauseous to consider touching it. His apprehension only grew as they entered a much warmer part of the building and the proprietor led him into a bedroom and stripped away his thin, filthy yukata.

"First, we'll get the stink off you."

He heard water running and sighed in relief at the warm brush of steam that touched his face. He moved more willingly in under the hot spray, tears rising in his blind eyes at how much of a blessing it was to be warm and washed clean. And even the proprietor's rough hands felt good as they caressed every inch of his pale, bruised flesh. It was so comforting that he didn't resist at all when he felt his master's eye take on a hungry gleam and the man's touches became more invasive.

The proprietor pushed the captive male back hard against the wall, pressing his powerful body against the slighter man's and plunging heatedly into his mouth. The slight coppery taste as he drew the prisoner's blood only made him harder where he rubbed against his captive's soft nether region. Large fingers began an insistent invasion and the prisoner groaned at the painful flickers it caused as his body was hastily prepared. He couldn't hold back a groan of agony as he was brutally taken with his back pressed hard against the wall and his legs shaking so hard they could barely hold him on his feet.

But he knew the price of resistance and bore the pain as quietly as he could.

"Hard to believe you were a prince, ne?" the proprietor panted into the soft shell of an ear, "You're nothing now, aren't you? Poor thing. The king'll kill you if he learns you're alive, so you can't use your powers and you can't yell for help. But don't worry, I'll keep you safe here. You do what I tell you and you and your sister and cousin will all stay alive. You want to live, ne? You keep bringing in good money like you are and I'll take care of you."

Again the faces of the violet-eyed girl and blue-eyed man flashed in the prisoner's weary mind. He knew they were his family, his only remaining family and that he had been trying to protect them. But everything from before, even their names, even his own, had disappeared a long time before. All he knew now was to obey or they would die. He flinched as his master's fingers clenched, and his body seized. Scathing heat erupted inside the prisoner's aching form, leaving him feeling weak and empty as the proprietor's mouth plundered his again and the man remained pressed against him.

"I'd keep you to myself if you weren't so valuable as a whore. But royalty sells on the black market, my love, and you being a noble prince makes it more than worth the risk. You be good today. This customer is paying a lot for your time. You show him a good time and I will give you a room up here in the main house. You earn a good tip and your sister and cousin can move up here too."

He knew it was a lie. The proprietor was well aware that if the peacekeeping forces that came through the town got wind of a surviving noble, none of them would live to see the light of the next day. But even the lie brought some warmth and life back into his weakened body and he met his master's lips with a gentle, grateful kiss for just that small ray of hope. The man paused, a shaft of unexpected emotion passing through him. His hands moved more slowly as he bathed the prisoner from head to foot, taking special care to rid the lengths of his lovely hair of knots and tangles. With each passing moment, his captive grew more beautiful under his hands until finally, he could stand it no more. He plundered the slighter man's body more indulgently, even coaxing him into returning the amorous caresses. The two writhed hotly against each other, moaning into each other's mouths as they joined their bodies in a mutual exchange of comfort for obedience. It was a display that would have been unthinkable for the noble, but given the injuries he had suffered and the long imprisonment, he no longer knew to be reviled by such behavior. Instead, he rested his head against his captor's shoulder, tasting the flecks of warm water on the man's skin until the proprietor sighed and nudged him out of the shower. The noble caught his breath softly, an unbidden, heartbroken sob escaping him. To his surprise, the sound was met with a look of some amount of sympathy.

"I know you don't like strangers touching you, but this is what pays the bills. It's the way it is down here. You know that."

The noble nodded in acceptance, cooperating quietly as his body was dried and the proprietor dressed him in a lovely red yukata, decorated with a display of black roses. He followed his master out of the master's bedroom and down a long hallway to another bedroom that was tastefully decorated and prepared for the noble's meeting with his client.

"There's food for you. Have something to eat so you don't faint while he's with you. He's kind of quiet, doesn't seem the type to be brutal and I warned him you're not to be damaged."

The noble accepted his words without any reaction, sitting down on the bed and slowly savoring the first meal he had been given in nearly a week. He wasn't sure if it was that the food was well made of that he had just ached for it for so long that it seemed pleasant to him just by being warm. He ate every bite and didn't hesitate at swallowing the glass of wine that awaited him, even knowing it was drugged.

He was fairly certain that having his awareness dulled for the encounter with his client would be a good thing, so he accepted as easily as if such a thing was to be expected. The wine warmed his throat and his full stomach, sending away his earlier jitters and leaving him calm as he knelt in the middle of the bed waiting. He wasn't sure at what point the proprietor laid a kiss on his lips and left him and the door opened again to admit a hooded man who approached the bed slowly and seemed to examine him carefully from just beside it. Unable to speak, the noble waited, a slight shiver going through him as he wondered if it could be a king's man. They sometimes tried to infiltrate the brothels, looking for remnants of the former noble houses to kill. But the proprietor had, several times already, shown his ability to think ahead and respond appropriately.

But this man did not seem to be a king's man.

He wondered then if it could just be someone who couldn't believe that anyone of any significant purity of noble lineage could have survived the purging after the rise of the quincy king. The noble didn't know how he had survived, or if he was really a survivor at all. His only clue was in infrequent momentary visions, that might have been memories of an earlier time or might have been imaginings based on the stories the proprietor told his clients. In his world, nothing was certain but the regularity with which he was brought to the room in which he now knelt and served the lascivious needs of anyone willing to pay his master's exorbitant price.

The noble felt a chill run down his spine as the bed moved and he felt the close presence of the man his captor said was coming. The scent of the man touched his senses and immediately the noble envisioned a calm male with friendly, dark brown eyes and glasses. A second image invaded and overtook the first, a vision of a more devilishly beautiful version of the same man, without glasses and with more malevolent eyes. He knew the man was not to be trifled with and remained silent as a warm hand touched his cheek.

"You can't see me?"

The noble shook his head briefly.

"And you are unable to speak?"

The noble nodded.

The voice, too, conjured strange images...a lonely hilltop...a feeling of fear, and that same voice.

_"Kill her, Gin."_

He felt a sharp pain in his chest and wondered if the man had been a king's man after all, if he had drawn a weapon, and knowing that he couldn't protect himself, had run him through. He managed a gasping breath and felt firm hands take hold of his shoulders. The man's face came close to his.

"Don't make a sound. I know that although you can't speak, you can scream. He left you that way on purpose. But don't make a sound. Just listen."

It was strange, on the one hand, hearing the odd words, and on the other, feeling the man's hands begin to caress and explore him. The man's lips teased his graceful throat and nipped at his earlobe.

"You may be confused at the feelings I conjure in you. I was once a friend, and then was your enemy. But, given the treachery of the quincy king, I consider us to be allies, if only for the short term. I am going to get you out of here."

"No," the noble mouthed breathlessly, "S-sister...Cousin."

The man smiled into the gentle curve of the noble's throat.

"I will rescue them as well. Now that I know you are indeed who I was looking for, I will go back to my friends and we will make our plans. I would take you now, but your master is too suspicious. He watches closely. I wonder...is he jealous?"

"Who?" the noble mouthed, sucking in a surprised breath as the man brought him down on his back and began to plunder every lovely inch of white breast and soft belly with his lips and tongue. He delighted each inch with such amorous brushings that left the noble panting softly and, unbelievably, aroused.

_I never become aroused._

_Not for anyone._

_I thought that I couldn't._

But there was no denying the thrilling tickles the man's touches set off in his belly and in that place so many invaded, but none could bring pleasure.

"Who?" he mouthed again.

The man's mouth came down hard on his, his kisses deep and passionate as he laid on top of the noble and used his wetted fingers to prepare him.

"You wouldn't know my name right now if I told you," the man whispered, rubbing against him roughly. I would wager you don't know your own."

The noble shook his head in reply, reeling as he was dragged back onto his knees and pushed down between his client's widespread thighs. He didn't hesitate, but latched on at once, offering the man an onslaught of kisses and suction that stole his breath away. The man rolled the noble onto his belly and entered him somewhat roughly from behind. He rested his chin on the noble's shoulder, managing a few more words as they moved together.

"I always wondered what you would be like...b-but then, you are hardly yourself."

The words caused a deep reaction in his chest and the noble turned his head away in shame.

"Don't worry, you will know yourself again soon."

The words brought back the unsettled feeling from before, but he couldn't hold onto his concern as the man's heavy thrusts touched off shivers of intensifying pleasure and made the noble moan soundlessly and thrash beneath him. His long dormant member throbbed almost painfully and pleasure on an uncharted level gripped him firmly and left him collapsed and breathing hard, his release spilling out beneath them as the other man's filled him inside.

"Don't take this personally, Byakuya," the man panted into the noble's ear, sending fresh shivers down his spine as the name seemed to bring back waves of long lost memories.

_Or are they really my memories?_

_Byakuya?_

"I wouldn't have touched you without your permission, but he is watching and if I give any sign of who I am, he will move you."

Byakuya felt a small pinprick in his arm and flinched.

"It is a tracker," the man informed him, "in case you are taken from here. It is also a way for you to call me if there is trouble. Tap on it in groups of three and I will come to you. You will hear from me as soon as our plans are made. Do you understand?"

"Who?" Byakuya mouthed again, insistently.

"It is better that you don't know, in case he becomes suspicious. Right now, the less you know the better. You must be patient and cooperate with Master Toru until I return."

Byakuya nodded into the crook of the man's arm as the man's other hand slid down over the noble's bottom to tease the area he had plundered. Carefully shielding his movements from where he sensed the surveillance device, he first examined Byakuya carefully, then infused his body with healing and strengthening reiatsu.

"You won't have any powers. It is extremely important, as you know, that you do not radiate any of your reiatsu or Ywach will sense you. He is aware that you may still be alive and he has a price on your head."

He could feel that the man was smirking.

"It was almost enough to make me turn you in to him, myself. But I despise that man. There was no need for the raping of Soul Society, other than that he wanted to make everyone suffer. You are lucky to have been in the Rukongai. Those caught in the Seireitei suffered horrors beyond imagination. Now, warring factions pose everywhere. They keep the fighting constant, and Ywach has his endless supply of souls to sustain him. Unforgivable..."

He put the last touches on the healing infusion, then rested calmly against Byakuya's sweat misted back, still joined with him and letting his breath tickle the noble's soft cheek.

"I am glad you are alive."

He offered a final admonition to the noble to share nothing of what he had been told and gently disengaged from his body. With a regretful sigh, he exited the bed and was met at the door by the proprietor, who stepped into the room to briefly examine the exhausted man in the bed, then returned to his waiting client.

"He was lovely," the man said appreciatively, "Has he any other commitments for the next few days. I have business here and would like to see him again."

"He has two regulars, but one is out of town. The other hasn't paid his bill, so he won't be visiting until the amount is cleared. You may have him on hold if you are willing to put money down."

"Of course."

The man removed a stack of folded bills and handed them to Toru, glancing back into the room.

"There is a bit extra to see that you fatten him up a bit. He is very thin. He was bruised in a few places. I healed what I found, but you should fine anyone who does damage to him, a fine specimen like that. Very obviously noble stock. You must be cautious. One look at him and the king's men would know."

"That is why he is only up here when there is a client. Believe me, I know all about the king's men and their tactics. I will keep him well and you may call for him whenever you want him."

"Thank you."

The man slipped out of the brothel and disappeared swiftly, taking the fastest route out of the town, then withdrawing a small communicator from within his cloak. He pressed several buttons, then watched as a dark doorway opened in front of him. Looking over his shoulder to make sure he was not observed, he melted into the blackness, passing through the darkness into a much deeper void, where a bubble of life hung suspended. He passed into the bubble and relaxed slightly, knowing that he was beyond the king's sight now.

"Well?" queried a male voice.

The man turned and encountered two more men, one tall and red haired, marked all over with bold, black tattoos and the other a grey-eyed man with unruly, pale blonde hair and a striped hat.

"The brothel owner has them, although I do not think he has any idea it's Byakuya. If he knew, he would be too afraid to keep him."

"Why didn't you get them out?" the redhead demanded, "If it's them...!"

"Easy Renji," the grey-eyed man cajoled his excitable friend, "We can't just go in there, willy-nilly and grab them. We have to do this quietly, so that no one suspects anything. Don't worry, we'll get them out."

"But Kisuke..."

"We have to be patient," Kisuke insisted, "Sousuke wouldn't have left Byakuya there if he thought there was immediate danger."

"Yeah, I know. But...a brothel? You know what's happening to them there."

"Yeah. But we can't afford to get reckless. Just let me and Aizen make a plan and you will have your friends and your boyfriend back soon."

"Tetsuya already went through hell, being kept in the noble's prison before. I don't want to think about how they're..."

"Then don't think about it," Aizen said solemnly, "Whatever you have to do so that we don't make a foolish move, do it. There is no other way to win back Ichigo and control of the three worlds from Ywach."

"I know," Renji sighed, "It's crazy, though, depending on a guy who once tried to kill the soul king, himself. Don't think that this means I trust you. You've stabbed us in the back already."

"Yes," Aizen admitted readily, "And you are wise to be wary. But I will, no doubt, be a better choice than that man to maintain the necessary balances."

"Why don't I find that very comforting?" Renji complained.

Aizen gave the redhead a charismatic smirk.

"Because you have learned to be properly cautious."


	2. The Hole

**Chapter 2: The Hole**

"You must have liked him," Toru commented, blinking sleepily as he watched the blind noble explore his nether region with soft, damp lips and a velvet tongue, "You came for him. I'd be jealous, but he paid really well...enough so I can go and see about buying that place in the mid-Rukon I've been talking about...set up there and get some more customers. All of us could live better."

His eyelids fluttered and he slid his fingers into the noble's fine hair, massaging the back of his neck to encourage him. His breath shortened and he moved his hips restlessly, almost losing track of his thoughts as the noble continued to pleasure him.

"I'm going to leave this morning after I have a shower and clean up. I'll be gone for maybe a day or so while we work out a deal. Sorry, but that means you and the other two will have to go into the hole."

The noble went rigid, his whole body trembling as he remembered.

"Hey, calm down. You're not being punished. I just have to make sure you three don't get stolen while I'm gone, you know? I trust Jun and Ken with most things, but this is the low Rukon, after all, and something as fine as you could tempt them too much. It'll only be for a day, then I've got the wagon fixed up with a special hidden compartment to move the three of you in. The new place has more space and even the below ground area is comfortable. You've got a lot to look forward to."

He sat up and coaxed the devastated man into his arms and kissed him repeatedly, licking his lips indulgently to taste the traces of their mingled flavors.

"You'll be all right. You ain't scared of the dark because you can't see and you'll have blankets and such to keep you warm. Just be quiet and wait. That's not too hard, is it?"

Not waiting for an answer, he gently shoved the noble down onto his back, then methodically bound his slender wrists and ankles to the rails at the head and foot of the bed. He paused and gazed down at the restrained noble, caressing his own reactive member and licking his lips. Leaning forward and kissing the flesh around the glowing kido ropes made a lusty gleam rise in Toru's dark, hungry eyes and he moved down between the noble's widespread thighs to begin a penetrating exploration.

The noble's head turned aside and he focused on the small, curtained window, distancing himself as his master's movements became more insistent and rough. He was barely aware when the bigger man entered him and felt nothing of the heavy thrusts that carried Toru off and into shudders of pure bliss. The scathing heat that invaded coaxed a weary sigh from his lips and he rested calmly with Toru's body draped limply over his.

"You're so beautiful," the proprietor panted into his ear appreciatively, "Most beautiful thing I ever touched."

The words felt cold, although he knew it was as much warmth as the other man was capable of. Byakuya smiled weakly just to show that he heard and earned a gentler bout of kisses, after which the two retired to the shower. They bathed each other slowly, breathing in the steamy air and exchanging deep, lingering kisses until Toru gave him a regretful look and stepped out, bringing him along and handing him a yukata. Byakuya's fingers stroked the fine material and tears came to his eyes.

_That is...!_

"It's one of yours," his master confirmed, handing him the finely made silken blue creation that he recognized from the light, sweet scent and soft feel of the fabric, "from before. I saved this one. It wouldn't have fetched so much anyway and...I thought it would make a good reward. I hope it makes the waiting easier."

Byakuya followed Toru into his room and dressed him in traveling clothes, suffering an inward shiver as he finished and his master looked at him meaningfully.

"Let's get this over with."

Byakuya's legs shook under him, but he forced himself to walk quietly at his master's side. He took solace in being reunited, if only briefly with the two he protected. Toru led him first into the cellar, where he dismissed the guards, then moved to Tetsuya's locked cell.

"You there. Come," the proprietor ordered the younger noble.

Tetsuya stirred sluggishly and rose onto shaky legs. He took a few steps and stumbled, collapsing at Toru's feet with a sob of pain.

"Help him."

Byakuya knelt and felt around until he found Tetsuya's icy hand. He laced their fingers together and wrapped an arm around his cousin, bringing him back to his feet and rubbing a soft cheek affectionately against his. Toru urged them on to Rukia's cell and called her to join them. She obeyed immediately, relishing the chance to feel her brother's close presence and the touch of his hand on her face. Toru allowed the three a few minutes to reconnect, then led them to a trap door hidden in the very back of Byakuya's cell. They climbed down a long ladder, the three prisoners shedding silent tears. They paused at the bottom and Toru breathed an enchantment that uncovered what was really just a shallow hole hewn into the stone floor of the chamber. There was enough room for the three to lie, side-by-side. Byakuya laid down in the middle, with Tetsuya on his left and Rukia on his right. They made muted sounds of surprise as the proprietor left them for a moment and returned with several warm blankets, which he wrapped around them before speaking the charm to seal them in.

"You'll be safe here and I will be back by tomorrow night."

But even with the warmth and reassurances, the three shivered incessantly and clasped at each other's fingers in the chill silence. Fresh air was able to pass through to reach them, but no sound traveled in or out, once the way was closed. There was no way to know if all was well or if they had been forgotten. It would have driven any one of them to madness, but given each other's company for the first time in months, the three took some solace in their mutual closeness.

And while they silently comforted each other, they had no idea of the events taking place in the brothel above them.

Toru left the building and walked to the end of the street, to the large barn where his horse and cart were stored. Glancing back once in the direction of the brothel, he entered the yard and swiftly hitched up the horse, then guided him out onto the street and in the direction of the mid-Rukon. Behind him, two men watched from within the bushes, waiting until he was gone to return to the brothel and pick the lock to get inside.

"They have to be in here somewhere," the first man whispered to the second, "He didn't take them out of the building."

The two took their time carefully searching the environs, exploring the bedrooms and stealing several pieces of jewelry and more expensive items of clothing. They peeked down the stairs, and noting the absence of the men who usually guarded the cells, they walked boldly into the cellar, staring in at the imprisoned prostitutes and studying them carefully.

"They ain't here," the second man complained, "See? Those cells are empty."

"Then, I say we interrogate the others," suggested the first.

The two froze as footsteps sounded in the upstairs.

"Shit!" the two breathed, retreating into one of the empty cells and concealing themselves.

They watched as the guards walked down the stairs and took up their positions.

"What do we do?" one asked the other.

"Come on," the second said, creeping to the cell entrance and waiting until one of the guards passed close to him.

He struck quickly, locking an arm around the guard's neck and holding him tightly as the other gasped and tried to approach.

"Stay back!" the intruder warned the uninhibited guard, "Stay back and tell me where the prince is or I'll kill your friend!"

"Take it easy. I don't know where he is! I don't!" cried the second guard.

"Fucking _liar_!" hissed the one holding the captive guard, tightening his fingers until the man was gasping for breath and his legs weakened beneath him, "Tell me where he is! I know he's here. We were watching the place and he didn't leave. He has to be here! Now, tell me or your friend here is dead!"

"I'm not lying!" the second guard insisted, "He sent us away so we wouldn't know. I swear it! He doesn't tell anyone where he hides the guy! Let him go. We don't know anything. We don't!"

"Sorry little cocksucker," snapped the one holding the guard, "I don't believe you!"

He pulled a knife from his waistband and held it against the trapped guard's throat.

"Jun!" cried the other guard, taking a step forward.

"Stay back!" the intruder holding the other guard warned him, "I'll cut his throat. I swear I will! Tell me where the prince is _now_!"

"I'm not lying! I told you. The master always sends us away, so we don't know. He doesn't even trust us with that! Now, let him go. He doesn't know anything. We don't know where the prince is!"

"He must be in here somewhere," the man holding the guard snarled to his comrade, "We searched the upstairs. You two, help us search. And if you try to get away or make a sound, we'll fucking kill you!"

He released the choking guard and Jun collapsed onto his knees, holding his throat and coughing. The second guard rushed to his side and helped him to his feet. He stepped back warily, holding his friend against him as the intruders herded them through each cell, ignoring the pleading of the other imprisoned prostitutes. One by one, they searched the cells, until they came to the end.

"This is the last one," the first intruder noted, "You'd best hope we find them."

The four searched the cell thoroughly, but seemed to find nothing.

"You see?" Jun said in a shaken voice, "He isn't here. We were telling you the truth."

"I don't think they're lying," the second intruder said to the first, "We should get out of here."

The first intruder glared at the two guards.

"Fine, but we'll have something for our trouble! Come on!"

He let his companion out of the cell, locking the two guards in. The two walked back along the line of cells, opening the doors and freeing the ones inside with a set of purloined keys. The freed souls started to smile and sigh in relief, but found their hopes instantly dashed.

"You're coming with us," the first intruder announced.

"You can't do that!" shouted Jun, "Stop!"

"Be glad we don't take you and make you whores too!" the intruder warned him, "Shut up!"

The two intruders herded the stolen prostitutes up the stairs and into the house, then guided them outside. The first intruder turned back and loosed his reiatsu, firing a red blast at the house and causing it to burst into flames.

"What are you doing?" exclaimed the second thief.

"Don't want those guys to talk. Come on, let's take these and get outta here. We can be long gone by the time that bastard gets back. If the prince is in there, he's gonna die."

In the basement of the house, Jun and Ken felt the shaking of the blast and smelled smoke almost instantly.

"They've set the place on fire! What do we do?" cried Ken, grabbing his friend by the arm.

"Come on," Jun answered, pulling him along, "I didn't tell them, but I saw a trap door."

The two found the door hidden at the back of the cell and passed through, sealing it behind them with a spell.

"We're trapped down here," Jun noted, "But it seems to be all stone and sealed off from the house. The air in here isn't too bad. It must come in from somewhere else."

Ken looked around the small stone room, shivering at its emptiness.

"You think this is where he's been hiding that man?"

"Maybe," Jun surmised, "But it doesn't look like he's in here now. He must have slipped the prince out while we were gone."

"But that guy said they were watching."

"They were watching, but they weren't so smart, were they?" Jun chuckled, sitting down and placing his back against the cold stone wall, "Ah, I guess all we can do now is to wait for that fire to burn out, then try to find Toru."

A few short feet away from them, the three prisoners laid in the dark, touching each other's fingers for comfort and waiting breathlessly.

Byakuya paused and went still for a moment, remembering.

_He said to tap in group of three._

His fingertips sought the place where the device had been placed and began a slow, rhythmic tapping.

XXXXXXXXXX

"I don't feel so good about trusting him," Renji admitted, reaching up to scratch the back of his neck as he stood at Urahara's side and watched the former traitor of Soul Society study a set of papers, "He's not exactly a trustworthy kinda guy, you know."

"Well," Kisuke sighed, "I'm inclined to agree with you, but there's no arguing with the fact that he's a transcendent, that he has some amount of royal lineage and he's the only one who can get a shot at Ywach. Ichigo's disappeared and Orihime, Chad and Uryu are all essentially imprisoned up there. I don't like Aizen any more than you do, but you have to admit we don't have any other way of doing this."

"But you know what bringing Byakuya into this means!"

"Hey, do you want to save your captain or do you just want to leave him with that brothel owner for the rest of his life?" Kisuke asked pointedly.

"We don't _have_ captains anymore," Renji huffed in a disgusted tone, "I'm going to help Byakuya because he and Rukia are my friends and Tetsuya is my lover. Whatever happens with Ywach, as long as all our friends are freed, I don't really care. I just want everyone safe."

"As usual, you show your gift for painfully simplistic thinking," Aizen mused, earning a look of surprise from the redhead as he realized the other man had heard their lowered voices, "Until Ywach takes his last breath, no one is safe...no one at all."

Renji glared at him, his reiatsu glowing softly.

"And how are we going to be any safer with you in charge, especially Byakuya, if what Kisuke told us is true?"

Aizen gave him a sly smile.

"I will be satisfied with earning the throne and the hand of the consort. That is enough for me. I have no reason to hold your friends in the palace any longer or to hurt any of them. I will, in fact, be grateful for the assistance in reaching my goal."

"Yeah, right," Renji sighed unhappily, "I just want this to be over. I want Rukia, Byakuya, Tetsuya and the others to be safe. This is like a nightmare that doesn't fucking end, you know? I just want us to have our lives back again."

"You will," Aizen assured him, making several notes on the pages in front of him, "Don't worry, Renji. Now that we have found Byakuya, we are well on our way to conquering the royal realm and freeing everyone."

"Huh," the redhead huffed, "Why don't I find that very reassuring?"

Aizen started to give him a coy answer, but paused and stared at the monitor on his wrist as a soft, electronic tapping began. The three men stared, stiffening and all wearing concerned expressions.

"Well," Kisuke said, looking uncomfortable, "I think our time for planning is up. Byakuya's in trouble. If we lose him, we lose our shot. Let's go and get him."


	3. Living in Oblivion

**Chapter 3: Living in Oblivion**

"Are you still getting a signal from the tracker?" Kisuke asked, his grey eyes glinting in the darkness as he reached up to move the edge of his hood aside to better view the device.

"Yes, he should be just ahead of us," Aizen whispered back, moving forward slightly a the breeze rustled the bushes they were concealed in and the three caught the scents of rotting garbage mingled with old smoke from a recent fire.

"All I see is a burned out building!" Renji snapped impatiently, "Are you sure you're using that thing right?"

Aizen didn't answer, but arched an eyebrow and yielded a look of annoyance.

"He's using it right," Kisuke said softly, "Is Byakuya still tapping the sensor?"

"It's been a while."

"Hmmm."

Kisuke glanced back at the others.

"One of us needs to go and explore the area, but we can't risk being seen, so I think that you're elected, Sousuke. You're the only one of the three of us whose use of our power won't be sensed by the king, because you're also a transcendent. And your ability will ensure no one sees what you really look like, so we won't get reported to the king's goons."

"Renji," Aizen said quietly, "I will use my ability to conceal you as well. I want you to take up a position to the east."

"And I'll stay here," Kisuke added, "so that between the two of us, we can give you some amount of warning if someone's coming. Transcendent ability or no, we don't want to get careless."

"Agreed," Renji said, pausing as Aizen invoked his power, then moving off into the indicated section of brush.

"He may not be with us, Sousuke," Kisuke said, as soon as Renji was out of hearing, "The fire completely destroyed that building."

"And yet, from what I overheard earlier, there were no fatalities in the fire," Aizen countered, "He left Byakuya here and he wouldn't have done that without taking care to see he was both well protected and inhibited from escaping. I think there will be a clue in the wreckage. I will explore that and return."

Kisuke nodded and turned his attention to watching the building.

"Man, I wish we could have gotten here faster," he complained to himself as Aizen left the bushes and approached the burned out building.

Aizen moved on catlike feet, treading cautiously as he reached the burned out remains of the building. He maneuvered around the charred debris, noting quickly that the area had been searched several times.

_By looters, it seems,_ he noted, _But by the lack of signs of heavier tread markings or things having been dragged, I'd say they didn't find anything._

He slowed as he reached the end of what had been a hallway, and found soot covered stone steps leading down into the darker environs of the basement. He extended his senses and caught vague signs of life.

"Well, someone is down here..."

He made himself invisible and continued moving forward, pausing to let his eyes adjust as much as they could, then using tiny shafts of moonlight that peeked in from outside to find his way. He passed the broken cells that had housed the brothel's prostitutes, his heart flickering slightly in response as he sensed first Rukia's faint reiatsu, then Tetsuya's. As he reached the end of the row of cells, he picked up the slight traces of Byakuya's reiatsu, then stopped again, listening deeply as he thought he heard the echo of male voices.

He started towards the sound, then froze as footsteps sounded on the stairs behind him. Remaining in the shadows, he observed and followed like a ghost as Toru appeared, scowling and muttering furiously to himself.

"Bloody bastards!" he hissed, "Only waited until I was gone to come and pillage. But you didn't get it all you son's of bitches. You didn't find the prince, I'd wager!"

A slow smile spread across Aizen's face at the words. He remained in position just behind the man as Toru hastened to the end cell, where Aizen's senses had picked up Byakuya's reiatsu. He removed a metal key and struggled with the lock for several minutes before it gave way with a loud snick. The door creaked and soot billowed for a moment as he opened the cell door and proceeded across the room, pausing once to make sure he was alone. He heard the male voices he had before and caught his breath softly, then opened the hidden doorway that led down below Byakuya's cell.

"Oh, fuck me, Toru, it's you, thank kami!" exclaimed Jun, "I thought it might be those bastards coming back."

"Good to see you two are all right, though I don't know how you found this room."

"Taro and Nobu from the west town gang came after you left," Ken reported, "Taro locked us in here and they stole everything that wasn't nailed down. They took the other whores too. But they didn't get the prince and his kin. They couldn't find where you stashed them."

"Exactly why I put them there and didn't tell you," Toru said sternly, "If you'd known, they could have stolen those three and even had you two survived, we would have lost everything. As it is, I have a place in the thirty-fifth district. We'll collect the prince and his kin, then we'll go and settle them in at the new place. You two can bring a group back to reclaim our people from the west town bunch."

"Sure thing, Boss. But where did you hide them?"

Toru smirked.

"Where even fire couldn't touch them. They are here."

Jun and Ken looked around questioningly.

"Uh, where, Boss?" Jun asked, looking confused.

"Take a step back," Toru directed them.

He knelt and laid his hands on the stone floor, breathing a few words of enchantment, then the two guards watched in dismay as a section of flooring disappeared, revealing the three blanket wrapped forms hidden beneath it.

"Like this hidden room, there was a venting to an outside air source," Toru explained, "So, the smoke from the fire couldn't reach them."

"You really thought of everything," commented Ken, looking down at his hands for a moment.

Toru gave him a look of appraisal.

"Are you angry with me?" he asked calmly, "Because I didn't tell you where they were?"

"Not exactly," Ken confessed, "I just thought that you knew we wouldn't betray you. You've been good to us."

"Yes," Toru agreed, "You have. And I have not forgotten you. You are both coming to the new place with me and you will be getting large bonuses. Because of the fire, we may have to sell the blue-eyed prince and the princess, but we can keep the true prince for ourselves. We'll be fine."

"Right," Ken agreed in a more mollified tone.

Toru reached down and pulled Byakuya out of the hole, inhaling in surprise as the noble grabbed onto him tightly, shaking all over and breathing in soft, fast inhales and exhales.

"Easy, I've got you," he said soothingly, frowning as Byakuya gripped him even more tightly and made several sounds of distress.

Toru glanced at Tetsuya and Rukia as the guards helped them out of the hole.

"Oh, you heard that, did you? Well, don't worry. It's not a done deal. But it's best you know that if we don't make some money quickly, we will have to sell them. It's not my fault. I lost almost everything in that fire. I just have some of the money from your last customer and I have you. If you go back to work right away, I should get enough to keep the other two as well. We'll see. Just, don't worry about that now. We should leave before more trouble comes."

Aizen felt a sudden soft buzzing at his wrist and turned his attention to the communication device he wore.

_King's men! Would have told you faster, but they almost found Renji and I had to do some quick work. Two are coming towards you. Don't give yourself away to them._

Aizen reacted instantly, extending his power to conceal the others in the room, then letting himself appear to them.

"What the hell?" Toru demanded, staring as he appeared to come from nowhere.

He paused and squinted for a moment.

"Ah, it's you, Mr. Saito. How did you get here?"

"That is not important," Aizen said sternly, "What is important is that there are two king's men coming down here."

Toru's face went white as he heard the approaching footsteps and realized he had left the hidden door open.

"Do not panic. Wait here with me and they will not see you. When they are clear of the ladder, we'll climb out and leave and you three will give the prince and his family to me and you will pretend you never saw any of us."

"Why should we do that?" Toru demanded, flinching as the searching king's men moved closer, "I found him! I nursed him and the others back to health and I hid them! I took all the risk. Why should I give them away without anything?"

Aizen's eyes narrowed.

"Byakuya Kuchiki," he said softly.

Toru's eyes rounded and his mouth dropped open in dismay. His two friends had similar reactions.

"I see you know the name," Aizen observed, "And you know how badly the tyrant king Ywach wants to capture and kill him. You also know what he would do to you for concealing him here. Apparently, all you didn't know was his face. But those men on their way to us? They know his face well."

Toru gave the ladder another desperate glance.

"I am using my power to make us invisible to them, but you must obey my every command or I will let them see you and capture you. I will also make sure they know that you were hiding Byakuya Kuchiki here for several years."

"Look, take the prince!" Toru said shakily, "Kami, I didn't know it was him. They were unconscious when I found them and they lied about their names!"

"They didn't want to be found," Aizen agreed, "Or, they may not have been able to remember, if they were severely traumatized."

"The prince said there was a horrible battle and his family was killed...all but them," Toru explained, "Then, he lost consciousness. Bastard almost died too. We pulled him through, but he couldn't seem to remember anything. The doc I had check them said that the other two had their memories affected by some power. I don't know who did it."

"Byakuya may have done it to protect them in case they were found," Aizen reasoned, "In any case, I think you see the sense of giving them to me."

"Do you have to take all of them?" Toru complained, "I just lost everything but a little money and these three! How am I supposed to...?"

"I imagine you'll find a way, but I'll be taking all of them. And you would be wise not to remain here. Go to your new home, or better yet, sell it and disappear into one of the other districts quickly. If anyone gives these men reason to think you know where Byakuya is, then you will not live for an hour beyond the discovery."

Toru glanced at his two friends and sighed defeatedly.

"I think he's right," he said, scowling.

Before the guards could answer, a male voice made a loud exclamation and footfalls could be heard on the ladder leading down into the hidden room. The group shrank back into the shadows, Aizen remaining in front of them and holding his sword ready as the king's men dropped down into the room.

"Damn, looks like they were here and left," one said to the other, looking down into the hollowed out stone floor, "What was the owner's name?"

"Toru," answered the second, "That guy in town said he was out of town. We'll wait here and question him when he comes back. We'll question those other two the guy in town told us about."

"Do you think they really had Byakuya Kuchiki?"

"I don't sense him here, but if he did have that guy, he's a dead man."

"We should go back and make our report. We can have a group of soldats watch here for the owner to come back. He has to come back sometime."

The two climbed back up the ladder and their footsteps slowly faded. Aizen led the group out of the hidden room and past the king's men, then concealed them all in the nearby brush as Kisuke and Renji joined them.

"You all right?" Kisuke asked, "Sorry about that."

"I'm fine," Aizen assured him, "We weren't sensed."

"Thank kami."

They turned as Renji gave a strangled sob and grabbed Tetsuya, hugging him tightly and crying silently at the sudden reunion.

"Damn it! I thought I'd never see you again!"

Renji felt an odd jolt at the lack of response in his lovely boyfriend. Tetsuya made no move to escape him, but gave no sign of recognition.

"What the hell is wrong with him? What the fuck did you do to him?" the redhead demanded.

"He and Rukia were emptied of their memories or had them repressed," Aizen reported.

Renji turned on the brothel owner, his reiatsu flaring.

"You!"

"Don't, Renji," Aizen warned him, laying a staying hand on the redhead's arm, "Byakuya may have done it, himself, to protect them."

"I did use kido to blind them and keep them from talking, so they wouldn't escape," Toru confessed, "But I didn't mess with their powers or memories. Those two were already affected and the prince was badly injured and lost his memories when he nearly died of his wounds."

"So, you think you're a saint or something because you didn't let them die?" Renji snarled, grabbing the brothel owner by the front of his shirt and lifting him off his feet, "I should kill you for what you did to them!"

"Hey," Kisuke said bracingly, "Renji, buddy, why don't you put him down? We have them back and I'm sure they'll be okay. I can break the kido on their vision and speech centers, and I can undo it if Byakuya sealed their memories. That guy may not be an angel, but he's the reason they're alive."

"That's no excuse for what he did," the redhead growled, glaring into the brothel owner's frightened eyes, "Scum like you doesn't deserve to touch someone like him!"

"I didn't know who he was! I swear!"

"But you knew he was noble," Renji insisted, "You knew he was noble and you used him to make money, letting people put their grimy hands all over him against his will. You probably had a lot of fun, taking advantage of his situation, didn't you? After all, if he was found, he would be killed. He had to depend on you. You stupid, sick, sleazy moron!"

"Enough," Aizen said in a calm sounding voice that still managed to raise the hairs on the back of Renji's neck, "Let him go."

Renji let out an angry huff and let the brothel owner drop back onto his feet. Toru staggered back, staring at the fuming redhead and breathing fast. Aizen moved between them, capturing the eyes of Toru and his guards and speaking a few words that made the three freeze and go quiet.

"What did you do?" Renji asked in a more composed voice as the three turned and walked away from them.

"I adjusted their memories," Aizen explained, "They will avoid the king's men and disappear. We don't want them traced back to us."

"I would have thought you would kill them," Renji mused, "That'd be more your style, ne?"

"Perhaps," Aizen agreed, smirking, "But remember that we are still in danger from the king. We have something to hold over those men's heads. We may need them for something, at some point. Besides, finding them dead would arouse suspicion we don't need. Better for them to just quietly disappear and go where only we can find them again."

"You are a sneaky one, aren't you?" Kisuke chuckled, "I have to say, it's better being on this side of that. It wasn't so amusing when you were using that thinking against us."

"I suppose not."

"Well, we'd better get these three to safety," Kisuke said, slipping a hand into Rukia's, "Miss Rukia, if you'll come this way..."

Renji slid an arm around Tetsuya and followed, with Aizen and Byakuya bringing up the rear.

"I know you three can't talk to me and can't see anything right now," Kisuke said, leading the group into a senkaimon, "But I'll fix that when we get back to our little home away form home. You know, it's not easy evading a king that has powers of foresight, but we've got a couple of things working for us. First, we have a transcendent who can somewhat blind Ywach to our movements, because the king can't foresee things that revolve around another transcendent. And second, we have a place that Ywach can't see into, where we can use our powers without being detected."

He placed his hand on a goopy wall and spoke a charm that opened the way for them. The group stepped down into what looked to be Kisuke own Karakura Town shop.

"This place that we're in is a pocket dimension, not within the king's dominion. The dangai separates it from the three worlds, giving us the cover we need to stay hidden. I moved my shop here to keep it safe while we try to figure out what to do about Ywach. You'll be safe here too...all of you. So, uh...welcome to the oblivion!"


	4. Starting Over

**Chapter 4: Starting Over**

Tetsuya felt warm, rough fingers touch his face and in his groggy mind assumed he had been brought out to serve another customer. He suppressed a groan and registered a stinging on his skin and the light scent of soap that clung to his flesh.

_If he bathed me, then it must be a customer. He never bothers until it will make him money._

But he knew better than to offer any resistance. Any show of will was punished promptly and with enough force to warn against future misbehavior. But it was hard, Tetsuya found, suppressing his independent side, even not remembering if he had been that way before. There was no before anymore, nor an after. There was only darkness and cold with short spells of warmth that was always marred by the rough, cruel hands that used him. It was no way to live, but he knew there was some reason why he must not die.

_But, that reason..._

"Hey, you going to wake up now, beautiful?"

A jolt went through Tetsuya's thin, abused form and his eyes flew open. He cried out in pain as it registered that light was coming in and he squinted and blinked until the room came into focus.

"You are awake. Good. I brought you some soup, bread and tea. I hope you're hungry."

Tetsuya reeled at the sound of his own voice as a tormented sob escaped him and everything seemed to return in a blast of light and sound. He started to fall back onto the bed, but found himself captured in strong arms and looking up into Renji's affectionate red-brown eyes.

"Renji!" he croaked, still getting used to using his recovered voice.

"You remember me!" the redhead said, grinning, "Finally!"

"Of course I remember you!" Tetsuya cried into Renji's shoulder, "Renji! I can't believe you're here!"

"I've got you. You're okay now," Renji said soothingly, "We got you all out."

"B-byakuya? Rukia?"

"They're all right," the redhead assured him, seeking his lips and kissing him hungrily, "You guys were a little messed up, but you're all going to be fine now."

"Thank goodness for that," Tetsuya sighed as Renji brushed the tears away from his eyes, "but where are we?"

"Right, you were pretty much out of it when we got here. This is Urahara's shop."

"We're in Karakura Town?" Tetsuya said, looking alarmed.

"No, no, it's okay," Renji assured him quickly, "We're not in Karakura Town. Kisuke escaped the living world and brought his shop into the Dangai. We entered a pocket dimension and are concealed in the oblivion, where Ywach can't see or sense us."

"Is Ichigo here? Or the others?"

Renji's face fell and he shook his head sadly.

"The ones that went up there didn't come back. We aren't sure exactly what happened. Kisuke has heard through his spies that they're all alive, but that Uryu is being controlled by the king, Orihime and Chad are prisoners and Ichigo disappeared somehow. We aren't sure what happened, but Kisuke's determined that we're going to find him and beat the king. Only thing was, we were having a hard time staying clear of the king. That's why Kisuke brought us here...and, Tetsuya, it's why we've teamed up with Sousuke Aizen."

"Sousuke Aizen?" Tetsuya repeated in a shocked voice, "He is here?"

"He's the one responsible for rescuing you. And he's the real reason the king hasn't captured us. He has some royal blood and is a transcendent, so Ywach can't foresee his actions the way he can everyone else's."

"That does make it advantageous to have him on our side," Tetsuya mused, "But he is hardly trustworthy."

"Yeah, I agree. But who would you rather see sitting on the throne, a guy who just wanted to rule the three worlds or one who wanted to put them in chaos and murder all of the noble lords and Gotei soldiers?"

"I suppose we have no choice," Tetsuya said unhappily, "What does Byakuya think?"

"I don't know. He wasn't really himself when he arrived and I came in and stayed with you while Kisuke unsealed your vision, speech and memory. We can check in with them in a little bit, but first, you have to eat. Kisuke wants you three operational as quickly as possible."

"I notice my powers are limited," Tetsuya said, glancing at the silver band on his wrist.

"That's only to make sure that you don't injure yourself while you're still recovering. Your spirit centers were badly burned...I guess from the battle you were in."

"I barely remember," Tetsuya confessed, "There was an attack on the evacuation compound and we were fighting. We were being overpowered by them. The elders ordered Rukia and me to get Byakuya to safety. I don't remember what happened after that. I just know we woke up in that...that place and we were that man's prisoners. He blinded us and made it so we couldn't speak, so that we wouldn't be able to escape him and he made us serve him."

"Yeah, well, you're free now. No one's going to be doing that stuff to you anymore."

"It wasn't anything like being with you," Tetsuya recalled, shivering in Renji's embrace, "The customers were rough people and that man allowed them to be more rough with Rukia and me. He was only particular about them damaging Byakuya."

"That's all over now," Renji said, hugging him tightly, "No one's going to hurt you anymore. I won't let them."

"Thank you, Renji," Tetsuya sighed, seeking Renji's hungry lips.

The redhead kissed him several times, then paused and looked at him questioningly.

"Hey, what happened to your fleabag horse? He wasn't with you?"

"Arashi is with me," Tetsuya corrected him, "It's just that when my powers were affected, he was pulled back into my inner world. He will emerge when I reach full power again."

"We'll have to throw him a party," Renji joked, "Damn it, I'm so glad you're all right! I know it's been really hard for you, but you'll be okay now."

"I know that," Tetsuya said, smiling as they kissed again, "I'm always safe with you, Renji."

XXXXXXXXXX

"How are you feeling, Miss Rukia?" Kisuke said, smiling as he checked the young woman's vital signs.

"Better now," she answered in a somber voice, "But...you said that Byakuya is all right? What about Tetsuya?"

"They're both doing well too," Kisuke said reassuringly, "Renji's in taking care of Tetsuya and Sousuke's with Byakuya."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better? Because it doesn't. I don't trust him anywhere near my brother!"

"Yeah, he's not someone to place all your bets on," Kisuke agreed, "but like I explained to you, he's all we've got."

"I don't find that very reassuring at all," Rukia sighed, "But you're right. We need someone powerful to help us confront him."

She paused and swallowed hard, her heart pounding.

"Kisuke, where is Ichigo?"

"Ah," the shopkeeper said uneasily, "I knew that was going to come up. You are friends after all."

"The best of friends," Rukia said sadly, "Kisuke, what happened to him?"

"The truth is I don't know. No one seems to know. But I have a suspicion."

"You do? What do you think happened?"

"Well, I haven't been able to get into the royal realm, but I do know that the former king always carried with him an item...a prism called the king's prism. It contained the suspended souls and voices of the former kings and consorts and acted as a guide and a source of protection for the king. From what I hear, Ywach didn't find the prism when he killed the king. The prism has disappeared and Ichigo has disappeared. They were both in the presence of the dying king when Ywach attacked, so I think where we find one, we will find another. I believe the key is to get Aizen, who has royal blood, into the royal palace. I suspect that only he can recover the prism. Maybe he can find Ichigo as well."

"We have to go into the palace?" Rukia mused, wide-eyed, "Are you crazy? That man and his army will kill us!"

"Seems that way," Kisuke agreed readily, "But you know, we've been the underdog more than a few times and pulled it out, right?"

"Yes, I suppose." Rukia answered hesitantly, "I just...I'm really worried about him."

"You should be more worried about getting yourself better," the shopkeeper chided her gently, "Don't worry. We're gonna find Ichigo. You're not the only one worried about him. You know that."

"Yes, Ichigo told me just before this all started that you two have been seeing each other for a while."

"He did, huh? He had to be careful because he wasn't ready to tell Isshin."

"Where is he? Where is Isshin?"

"I don't know," Kisuke confessed, "But he's used to taking care of himself. He may have his own plan for dealing with Ywach. It's anyone's guess. Getting back to the problem at hand, I want you to eat up and rest a lot. I've put a limiter on you, Byakuya and Tetsuya because something burned the crap out of your spirit centers and if they're not awakened carefully, you could blow them out and be left completely powerless."

"I'll be careful," Rukia promised, accepting the plate of food he offered her, "Oh, where are Tessai and Jinta and Ururu? Are they here too?"

"Yeah, they're here. You'll see them around. Just, please focus on resting and eating. We don't have time on our side. Every day we wait is one more Ichigo spends missing and our worlds spend suffering under that tyrant."

"But...how do you know we're not just going to be trading one tyrant for another?" Rukia asked pointedly.

"Eh...hey, look at the time!" the shopkeeper exclaimed, standing, "So sorry to chat and run, but I've got some tests to run. Take care now!"

"But...!" Rukia objected as he disappeared out the door, "Damn...I really don't feel good about this."

XXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya woke to the feeling of a familiar presence. But unlike previous times, this time he knew where the feeling came from. The past, it seemed, had somehow been returned to him...unfortunately including the more recent past.

_I would not want the family to see me now. I've fallen so far._

_But there is no more 'family.'_

_There are only the tattered remains of what used to be the soul king's prized clan...the clan whom the first king's consort, Hajime Kuchiki, founded. To think it would end with this disgrace._

"Are you going to open your eyes?" a calm male voice asked.

Byakuya took a steadying breath and opened his eyes, then suffered a moment of disorientation as he reacted to the light around him.

"Kisuke was able to break the kido that prevented you from seeing and speaking properly. He also healed you completely and he said that you should be remembering things better now."

"I am remembering too well, I think," the noble said, frowning, "I would ask why you are here, but I suppose that you were sent to rescue me. I am grateful, but you will excuse me if I do not suppose that my situation has improved very much."

"Well," Aizen said, smirking, "At least you're not being used as a whore by that peasant."

"I was used as a whore by you, if I remember correctly," Byakuya said, narrowing his eyes.

"I had to act the part," Aizen countered charmingly, "I wouldn't have wanted Master Toru to realize I was going to abduct you."

"You could have killed him and freed all of us without resorting to that," the noble argued, "You did such a good job of lying to everyone and sneaking around before."

"Yes, well, Kisuke and I agreed that it would be better not to attract attention...to complete our mission as quietly as possible so as not to draw the usurper's attention."

"I don't trust Kisuke Urahara's perception of things much better than I trust yours," the noble said dourly, "He, like you, always seems to have his own agenda. And I imagine that he was less concerned with rescuing me and more concerned with saving his lover."

"Oh, you're good," Aizen said, smiling, "Your sister is Ichigo's bet friend and hadn't figured it out, but you..."

"Ichigo and I are friends as well. He admitted his feelings for Kisuke while we were in the royal realm being healed."

A pained look crossed his face suddenly as he thought of the ones who had helped them.

"Did any of the Royal Guards survive?" he asked solemnly.

"They survived, but they are being made to serve the usurper. They won't be able to help us. I am our entry into the spirit realm...and you are going to help us regain the king's prism."

"Me?" Byakuya queried, his frown deepening, "How am I going to find the prism? I am not even of the royal realm. I have only a vague knowledge of the palace and cities there."

"It is not your knowledge we will need, but for you and the one who is next in line for the throne to be accepted," Aizen explained.

"Accepted by who?" Byakuya demanded, "And I suppose you think _you_ will be the next king? I would rather die than see that happen!"

"Would you rather have the worlds remain in chaos and what few nobles are left hunted? Killed? Forced into prostitution by men not worthy of being within their sight, Byakuya? Is that what you want?"

"And you think you are the better option?" Byakuya argued, "You walked among us for over a hundred years, Sousuke! My grandfather was fond of you. My father said you were a good man and you were comforting to me when I lost my father! You were lying to us the whole time! Lying to our faces and plotting behind our backs. You used my own sister to tear my family apart! You turned my own vice captain against me! How can you expect any of us to ever trust you again? What can we expect of this _king_? Will you be any better than that monster?"

"I won't try to have you eaten alive by your own petals," Aizen said dryly, "And as much as I wanted to lead, my aim was not to destroy everything, but to evolve beyond being a shinigami, hollow or human."

"Well, you've certainly succeeded," Byakuya said sarcastically, "And what can we expect from you now? Will you take me to the spirit dimension and make me a _noble _whore?"

"I was thinking more along the lines of royal consort," Aizen answered, looking amused.

"Are you out of your mind?" Byakuya snapped, his eyes blazing, "I would _never_ submit to you like that! Not after what you did! And I would be thrown into the depths of hell itself before I would consider lying down with _you_! To be bonded to you and have children with you? You have got to be mad! I have had enough of this. I am getting out of here before you come up with any more insane plans!"

He surged to his feet, only to be roughly grabbed and shoved back against the wall. Aizen pressed forward, bringing their faces close together.

"Has it escaped you that Ywach went to extra trouble to put a high price on your head, Byakuya? Did you know that there was good reason for him to want you dead?"

"Of course he wanted me dead. I am one of the clan leaders."

"Oh, you know it was more than that. He went to great trouble to find your family and meticulously slaughter them with special fury. I know there was a terrible battle and that the ones they did not kill, they tortured to try to find out where you were going, then they killed them even more painfully than the rest."

Byakuya's face paled at the memory of the battle and he went quiet for a moment.

"The reason you are being hunted and the reason that Kisuke Urahara is working with me is that Ywach cannot foresee my part in his future. I am a transcendent, like him, and I am also of royal blood. I am the rightful heir, though the king had disowned me."

"And he was right to do so."

"But the king and all of his other heirs are dead," Aizen said coldly, "And if you want a world in which you and the other clans can rebuild, then you need to accept your place...the piece of the future that Ywach _did_ see."

Byakuya froze.

"He saw...me?"

"You will be the royal consort that will help me to overthrow him, Byakuya. You will be the bearer of future kings!"

"I can't do that!" Byakuya gasped, one hand coming to rest on his abdomen, "I would die just thinking of being with you that way again!"

"Was it really so horrible?" Aizen asked, his expression softening slightly, "I wasn't cruel to you...and as I recall, you were quite responsive."

"I was playing a role!" Byakuya fumed, "I was barely in control of my mind! I wasn't even aware of my own _name_! I wasn't sure that Toru wasn't lying about me being noble at all!"

"And yet, you responded to me on a primal level. We connected and..."

"That is not connecting, it is an atrocity!" Byakuya said bitterly, "one that I want to forget. And I never want your hands on me again."

"Ah, well, that will make things awkward, but I will not force you."

"How then do you expect to have me conceive your heirs?" the noble asked furiously.

Aizen's smile grew devilish.

"Well, in actuality, we have already done that."

Byakuya stared at him speechlessly for a moment, then the hand resting on his slim belly began to tremble. His eyes widened and his reiatsu exploded, shattering the limiter on his wrist and making the windows in his room explode.

"You ANIMAL!" the enraged noble roared, "I'LL DESTROY YOU!"

The door opened suddenly and Urahara entered with Renji, Tetsuya and Rukia on his heels. They found Byakuya braced against Aizen, his eyes deadly and his reiatsu billowing dangerously around them.

"Hey guys," Kisuke said, trying to lighten the moment, "You know, it's probably not good for Byakuya to be using his full powers so soon. We should calm down...relax a little...have some tea."

"What's going on, Captain? Erm, I mean...well...what's he done that's got you so pissed?" Renji asked.

"This vile traitor who would be king, _impregnated _me!"


	5. Secrets

**Chapter 5: Secrets**

Kisuke and his companions stared in stunned silence for a moment, the two former prisoners reeling as Byakuya's reiatsu assaulted their weakened bodies.

"Ah...ha, well," Kisuke stammered, "Uh, that happened a lot sooner than expected."

Renji glared at the shopkeeper uncomprehendingly.

"You wanna tell me when the _fuck_ this was decided?" he yelled, "Because no one said ANYTHING about...!"

He paused as the swirling reiatsu overcame Rukia and Tetsuya, dropping both where they stood.

"Whoa! I've got you," Renji said, catching Tetsuya, while Kisuke captured Rukia's falling form.

"Hey, you wanna lay off it, Captain Kuchiki?" he pleaded, "None of you three are in any condition to be tolerating such extremes of power."

Byakuya stared at him in surprise for a moment, then let his reiatsu fade.

"There are no more captains," he said more calmly, "Just call me Byakuya."

"Sorry," muttered Kisuke, "Slip of the tongue. It's been a while."

"Are Rukia and Tetsuya all right?" the Kuchiki heir asked in a concerned tone, flinching as Aizen's hand wrapped around his wrist and snapped a stronger limiter in place.

"Yeah," Kisuke answered, sounding slightly out of breath, "They'll be fine. Just ah, don't give them any more reiatsu showers and they'll stay conscious. Man, you guys are in worse shape than I thought. We may need more time than we planned. And we'll need more information. I wasn't exactly planning for Byakuya's breeder ability to become active their first time like that, but...the resonance is extremely powerful, just like you foresaw, Sousuke."

"Yes, I felt the strength of it when..."

He paused, the corners of his lips curving upward as he read Byakuya's deadly look of warning.

"When we were _together_," he finished, smirking.

"I don't know why I would resonate with _you_," Byakuya hissed angrily, sweat breaking out on his forehead as he tried to hold his reiatsu in check, "You've only ever lied to me and tried to destroy my family, after all."

"Well, now I have no interest in harming you or your family, since with our marriage, the two will join."

"Is that supposed to make the situation more tolerable, because it doesn't!" the noble fumed, "I don't understand why Ywach saw me! I never would have gone to you...never! I can't stand the thought of you touching me!"

"Oh, that's not true," Aizen countered with a sly grin, "You didn't just accept me, Byakuya, you responded."

"I was DRUGGED! I didn't know what I was doing!"

"Eh," Kisuke said hesitantly, kneeling at Rukia's side and patting her face gently, while Renji did the same with Tetsuya, "Actually, you must admit, Byakuya, the resonance would not be enhanced by a drug, just revealed. If you were drugged and relaxed with him, that would explain why it was easy for him to...ah..."

"I don't care!" Byakuya interjected, "He had no right to do _that _to me without my consent!"

"Again, you are mistaken," Aizen said, looking into Byakuya's widened eyes, "I am a member of the royal family."

"A _disowned_ one!" Byakuya reminded him.

"Nevertheless, when the king and all of the named heirs died, I was the only one left to assume the responsibilities of kingship. And as I am going to be king, you, Byakuya, lead one of the noble houses that will serve me."

Byakuya's eyes darkened and filled with sudden tears and he dropped onto his knees, grabbing his midsection.

"Your _noble servants_ are mostly dead, would-be _king_," he spat, his face paling, "You may remember that we agree to serve in exchange for a place of honor in society and the king's protection. Royal privilege means that only the king can censure, execute or even touch us. I think that your family has certainly failed in their protection, just as we failed in ours."

"Yes," Aizen agreed, his brown eyes softening as he brought the other man back onto his feet, "We failed each other. That is true. But, we have survived, haven't we? Our worlds have fallen apart, Byakuya, but we can still save them. Isn't that what you want?"

"Of course that's what I want!" the shaken noble snapped, "I just...don't see how marrying you and becoming your bed warmer and child producer is going to accomplish that. I don't know how I'll even be able to fight while encumbered."

"You won't be fighting," Aizen assured him, "The only thing that you must do is to stay alive until we reach the king's prism. Once we are accepted as the royal heirs, I will have everything I need to kill Ywach and end his reign of terror."

"So that you can start your own?" Byakuya asked sarcastically, "You want to say that things will be better under your leadership, but I haven't heard anything of how. Tell me that if you want me to cooperate with you."

Aizen's eyes looked more deeply into Byakuya's and his reiatsu fluttered as he invoked the power of his shikai.

_Instantly, Byakuya was transported to a garden that was above and beyond the beauty of any he had seen before. Birds soared across the blue sky overhead, their songs tickling his ears and the mingled scents of evergreens, flowers and green grass filling his senses. _

_He stood at the top of a small rise, looking down at the garden's seemingly endless expanses, watching deer graze, unconcerned, as they ranged about the calm meadows. Laughter sounded nearby and he spotted a small, brown-eyed boy and a bright grey-eyed girl running towards him._

_"Daddy Bya!" they cried, throwing themselves into his arms and each kissing him on one pale cheek._

_He blinked back tears, holding them tightly and breathing in their soft scents as Aizen appeared in the distance and walked slowly towards them._

_"You see," he said quietly as Byakuya released the children and they scampered down the hill, "You may have lost your home and your life in the Seireitei, but you will have a home with me in the palace, children to comfort you and to grow and bring honor to our name. And as happened with the first king's consort, Hajime, you will birth the next leader of your clan."_

_"I have no clan, but for Rukia and Tetsuya," Byakuya said sadly._

_"That's not true," Aizen whispered in his ear, "Kisuke has uncovered evidence that a group of your kin escaped the slaughter, as you, Tetsuya and Rukia did."_

_"What?" Byakuya breathed, the images around him shattering._

"What did you say, Sousuke?"

Aizen squeezed his hands gently.

"We don't know exactly where they are, but there is evidence that a group of your kin has survived," Aizen repeated.

"He's right," Kisuke confirmed, "But we need to make it safe for them to come out of hiding."

Byakuya remained perfectly still, barely breathing as the news impacted his reeling mind.

"Yes," he managed finally, "My duty is clear. I was their leader."

Aizen's hand cupped his chin, returning Byakuya's widened eyes to meet his.

"You _are_ their leader."

Byakuya's eyes dampened again and his expression grew tormented.

"What kind of leader is that?" he said bitterly, "I let their children be slaughtered and allowed my safety to be put before theirs. I was a whore in the lowest part of the Rukon. I don't deserve to look those people in the eyes anymore. They need a strong leader, not someone like me."

"You're wrong," Aizen argued gently, his fingers caressing the noble's soft cheek and his eyes entrancing, "You fought to save them. And when the battle was lost, you worked hard to stay alive for them. You did what you had to do so that when the time came, you could bring them out of the darkness. You were brought to your knees and you suffered a fate worse than death, but you _survived_! And now, you have it within your reach to help me end Ywach's tyranny, his drive to bring death to every person of noble origin. The truth is, they need you."

"And what about you?" Byakuya asked, regaining some control, "What happened to the man who needed no one, who would depend on no one and who could trust no one? Where is that man now? Don't lie to me and say that you have changed."

"I am not trusting another man, Byakuya," Aizen said calmly, "I am trusting my own foresight, my own royal gift. And as the man who will be your king, I am asking you to trust in that vision as well."

"Sousuke Aizen asking me to trust him? I thought only weak people needed to trust others and depend on others. I thought that you were so fond of telling your followers to follow, but never to trust you."

"This situation is different," Aizen admitted, "The task of the royal couple is to manage and protect the three worlds. We do need to trust each other in order to play that role together."

"I will never trust you," Byakuya replied defiantly, "Never."

The two paused as Rukia and Tetsuya began to stir.

"Excuse us," Kisuke said, lifting Rukia as Renji captured Tetsuya in his arms, "We'll just, uh, give you two some privacy to work things out. Erm...good luck with that."

Byakuya watched in silence until they were alone, then turned to look out one of the windows into the greyness of the oblivion. Aizen moved close to him, sliding an arm around him and brought his face close to the Kuchiki heir's.

"Sousuke, will you answer me this? What do you expect our marriage to be? Do you plan to just play the leader and father our children, then disassociate from us? Do you think we could someday fall in love?"

"Those are difficult questions," Aizen confessed, nuzzling his cheek gently, "As much as we resonate, we certainly have the raw potential to be in love, but it can't happen if we are not both committed to nurturing it."

"And were you nurturing our love and setting the foundation for our relationship when you took me without looking into my eyes and impregnated me without even warning me?"

"Toru was monitoring the room," Aizen reminded him, "He might have been listening in."

"You still could have at least looked me in the eyes. How am I supposed to believe there is any honor in being your royal consort if you treat me no better than those men who raped me and paid my peasant master for the privilege?"

"Is that what's bothering you? The way I made love to you?" Aizen asked, frowning.

"You _didn't _make love to me. You paid my master to have sex with me. There was no love in what happened...none, Sousuke. This child will be born of a whore and a disowned heir."

"It doesn't need to be that way," Aizen assured him, "If you want to regain your honor and your place, then only put your faith in us and make an effort to carry out your duties faithfully. I will ask no more of you than that. The rest is your decision."

"But you do not care whether or not I love you?" Byakuya inquired in a wounded voice.

"Either way, I will kill Ywach and we will rule over the three worlds."

Byakuya exhaled slowly, his gaze dropping and his voice dropping to a near whisper.

"Then, as is my duty, befitting a son of the Kuchiki house, I will serve as expected," he answered softly.

"That would be wise," Aizen said approvingly, kissing him on a porcelain cheek, "Why don't you rest now? You must have drained your strength expelling so much power after having none for such a long time."

"I am fine," Byakuya said, barely audibly, "Please go."

"I don't know if it would be good to leave you alone," Aizen said in a concerned tone, "You don't look well."

"I have given you what you want," Byakuya said solemnly, "You have offered me a home in the palace and that only you will take advantage of me sexually. I am fine with that. I am grateful. It is certainly better than being taken by half the men in the low Rukongai and spending my life in a cell."

"But," Aizen said, pulling the noble into his arms and glaring down into his eyes, "I can give you more than that and you know it."

"A person who cannot trust, cannot give his heart to anyone, Sousuke."

"Is that so?" Aizen asked, brushing his lips against Byakuya's.

"Why are you doing this? I know you don't love me. You are not capable of love at all. You don't need to try to convince me. I have said that I will obey your will and play my role as your consort. You have what you want. Just go."

Aizen captured the unhappy noble's face in his hands.

"How can I go, knowing that you are only going to sit in here and sink into your melancholy? I think you need some kind of reassurance."

"You can't promise that you will fall in love with me."

"No, but I can promise you that I will respect you. And I will demand that everyone else show you proper respect as well."

"I don't deserve anyone's respect. Rukon whore or royal consort, I am still a slave. What does it matter whether I am in the royal realm or in that cold, dark cell? I have the same amount of control over my fate. I will be loved as much by you as I was by Toru."

"You keep worrying so much over that," Aizen observed, "Why does it matter?"

Byakuya sighed softly.

"Because in the short time that I had both of my parents, I came to understand the importance of love. I always knew and accepted that to be noble is to be a servant of the king, but I hoped and prayed that even if I must be married out of duty, that we could find some joy in our union."

"And you think there will be no joy in ours?" Aizen asked.

"How can there be? You are a heartless man. You trust no one. You love no one. You have nothing to offer me but a palace full of empty rooms, lovely gardens to walk alone in and children to give my love, but no one to be in love with me."

"Then, if love is what you want from me, I will make an effort to be loving. And if falling in love with you is at all possible, I will be open to it. Can you accept that, Byakuya? Will that satisfy you?"

"You needn't trouble yourself satisfying me," Byakuya said unhappily, "I have already promised you my obedience."

"If obedience was all I wanted, I would not still be standing here," Aizen said pointedly, moving forward slightly and trapping him against the wall.

He stared down into Byakuya's dark, tormented eyes and slowly brought his lips to the noble's. Byakuya made no move to resist, but held perfectly still as the other man's lips caressed his and Aizen's eyes seemed to look down inside him.

"You are a much more complex person than many of your noble brethren," Aizen commented, nuzzling his cheek affectionately, "To be honest, I was pleased that the one I saw in my vision was you."

"Why? You worked quite hard to show me your disdain when you used Rukia and Renji against me."

Aizen smiled and brought his lips to the noble's ear.

"I wanted to hurt you because I was attracted to you," he whispered, making Byakuya's pale earlobe blush furiously, "I was attracted to you but would never be considered good enough for you because I was not noble myself, and I didn't know I was royal."

"But I married a peasant," Byakuya said, frowning.

"Yes, and it made me horribly jealous."

"You were jealous of Hisana?" Byakuya asked, looking surprised.

"Unforgivably."

The faintest of smiles touched the edges of Byakuya's fine lips as they sought the other man's ear.

"Hisana and I were not really lovers."

"What?" Aizen asked in a surprised tone.

"I met her in the low Rukon and we became friends. I was going to be married to a noble daughter and I married my friend instead so that I wouldn't be forced to marry a stranger," Byakuya whispered.

Aizen smiled slyly.

"I never suspected."

"That is rather remarkable," the noble said, smirking, "knowing your penchant for anticipating everyone."

"As I said, you are complex...and I love complexity."

He brought his lips back to Byakuya's and the two exchanged a very slow and much more passionate kiss. Byakuya blinked and swayed slightly as they parted.

"Will you really be all right now?" Aizen asked quietly.

Byakuya nodded wordlessly, his heart pounding as he gazed into Aizen's powerful brown eyes.

"Good, then rest. Tomorrow, we will be taking our first steps into our new future."

"How so?"

Byakuya froze and stared wordlessly at Aizen's answer.

"Tomorrow, we must travel to Kuchiki Manor."


	6. An Ugly Truth

**Chapter 6: An Ugly Truth**

"So, you're telling me we're going to go back into the Seireitei?" Renji asked in a disbelieving tone, "Do you know what you're saying? That place is still a war zone! Ywach's forces are all over the area. How can we hope to get in? Better yet, if Ywach knows about the archive, then how will we get past his men, who you know will be guarding Kuchiki Manor? How the hell is this going to be possible? And why do we need to go back there?"

"Those are good questions," Kisuke said calmly, his eyes touching each of the ones seated at the table, "And there is good reason why we have to go, and why we have to go now. First off, we need information, as much information as we can find about the first war with the quincies. If we are going to challenge the king, we need to know everything we can learn about the soul king and the king's prism. The Kuchiki family archive is the only place of its kind that has survived the downfall of the Gotei and the noble houses."

"How do you even know it survived?" Renji inquired.

"The family archive," Tetsuya explained, "is both a gift and a responsibility that was given to our family by the first incarnation of the soul king. Its entrance sits within the boundaries of Kuchiki Manor and, from Soul Society, it can only be entered from that location, and by either Byakuya or one who rightfully carries his token."

Tetsuya touched the back of his sword hand and the others watched in surprise as a small glowing image of a sakura blossom appeared on the white flesh.

"As head of house security, I carry his token. So also did the members of our council of elders. While the doorway exists in the Seireitei, the archive itself is in a pocket dimension, much like the one we are in now. Except for our family, no one but a member of the royal family can enter there."

"Then, can't Ywach just go into the archive and wait for Byakuya to return?" Renji asked.

"No," Rukia answered, exchanging glances with Tetsuya, "Even though we know that he was made by Reio's own power, he is not a member of the royal family. He can't even absorb the soul of a royal family member and enter. Only one of the king's own bloodline can enter that way. Ywach carries Reio's power, but not his bloodline."

"And," Kisuke said, lowering his voice, "the archive has an entrance into the royal realm. We know that Ywach is aware of the archive's existence and that he knows the Kuchiki family is guardian to it. What we don't know is if he is aware of the doorway into the royal realm. If he knows about it, of course, he will have it guarded. But if he doesn't, then that is our ticket into the palace."

"So, if Aizen could enter the archive anyway, then why didn't you go there already? And why involve Byakuya?" Renji asked.

"We needed Byakuya because Sousuke foresaw that he would be necessary if we planned to overthrow Ywach. We did want to enter the archive, but the more important thing was to find and rescue Byakuya. Without him, all of the knowledge in the archive wouldn't help us. Now that we have him, we can go there and get more information about the history involved in all of this, as well as things related to finding the king's prism. Now that we have Byakuya and a way into the palace, we have to find the prism. That's going to be the focus, once we get there. I need you three to come along and help us with finding that information. Tetsuya, if you and Rukia remember the size of the archive, then you know why we need a lot of eyes looking for the information. And while we're looking, there's a clock ticking. You see, now that Byakuya's got Sousuke's kid in him, we have to take care of Ywach before the baby comes. Otherwise, we're looking at us all finding our fate with the quincy king."

"Well, that decides it for me," Renji said, shaking his head, "No way I'm giving in to that bastard! Whatever you want me to do is fine."

"I'll help as well," Tetsuya agreed, "Though, I will need time to regain my powers before I will be of much use."

"Same with me," said Rukia.

"Don't worry," said Kisuke, "Once we get into the archive, we can take a little while during the search for the information we need to make sure everyone gets fully healed and powered up. Glad to have you aboard."

"Well, it is unnerving to work alongside the man who betrayed Soul Society," Tetsuya confessed, "but you have always been an ally. If you believe that it is best to work alongside him, then we will cooperate as well."

"I don't like so much that we have to trust him and it's even more distressing to put him on the throne, but I think that the other option is a hell of a lot worse, so I'm going with Sousuke."

"And we'd all just better hope that your thinking he's better for us than Ywach is right," Renji concluded.

"Yeah, that's about where we are," Kisuke sighed, "An ugly, but inescapable truth."

XXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya woke to a discomfiting swell of nausea and a flash of intense dizziness and exited his bed hastily, staggering across the room and into the bathroom, where he lowered himself onto his knees and surrendered to several violent heaves before feeling a retreat of the discomfort and leaning against the bathroom wall, closing his eyes and panting as sweat misted his face and throat.

"Are you all right?" Aizen asked, kneeling at his side and slipping an arm around his waist.

"I suppose I am fine," Byakuya said in a voice that was barely above a whisper, "It is just..."

"The child's reiatsu is impacting your body," Aizen concluded, "And because you are still weak from your ordeal, it is exceptionally uncomfortable for you. My apologies. I will try to relieve your discomfort by balancing your reiatsu with the baby's."

Byakuya moved with him as the other man stood and then guided him back to the bed. He laid down on his back and Aizen took up a position next to him, opening his yukata and laying his hands on the Kuchiki leader's bared belly. Byakuya loosed a sigh of relief as Aizen's power swirled into his body, acting as a buffer and balancing force between his body and the reiatsu of the developing heir.

"It looks like that is helping," Aizen observed, "I'm glad."

"Although, you could have spared me more discomfort if you hadn't been so hasty in impregnating me," Byakuya said unhappily.

"I apologize also for my..._enthusiasm_," Aizen added, smirking, "But you are comfortable now, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am fine."

"And as long as we bond like this frequently, you and the child will remain in better balance and you won't experience such harsh symptoms."

"I shall have to think on which avenue will cause me the least amount of suffering," Byakuya said dryly.

"Oh, ouch!" Aizen chuckled, "You are in a foul mood, aren't you? But then, that too is only natural...as is what is happening to our sexual urges right now. You see? The bonding is a close connection that will cause..."

"I _see_ what it causes!" Byakuya snapped fiercely, "But now that I am in my right mind, you are not touching me without my leave! You said that you wouldn't. Are you going to go back on your word, Sousuke?"

"Not at all," Aizen replied, smiling slyly, "If it is your wish to torture the both of us by denying the strong impulses of our carnal needs, then so be it. I think it's a bit unnecessary, but I suppose I understand your feelings. I will be glad to leave you alone to..._take care of yourself_."

Aizen extracted himself from the noble and slid out of the bed, then started towards the door.

"I did not say that you had to leave," Byakuya said quietly.

Aizen paused, turning back and meeting his eyes curiously.

"You want to tease me?" he asked, looking amused at the idea.

"I want to ease our mutual discomfort," Byakuya answered, earning a look of genuine surprise from his royal counterpart, "But...I wish to do so on my terms, not just surrendering like wild dogs in heat."

"But spontaneity is so charming," Aizen mused.

"I am not going to be _charmed_ by you extracting meaningless sex from me. If you want us to have sex, even if it is just to relieve our discomfort, then I prefer it to happen slowly and for us to exchange some amount of affection."

"That doesn't sound like too great a demand," Aizen said, walking back to the bed and taking his place next to the slightly flushed noble, "So then, how shall we begin?"

He watched with fascinated eyes as Byakuya's fingers touched his face, tracing the lines and curves, then sliding onto his neck and caressing gently. They met for a slow, lingering kiss and Byakuya turned to fully face him, the two men resting on their knees as their lips met a second time, and then a third. The Kuchiki heir's fingers trailed down his chest to his waist, and Byakuya pulled on the ties holding their yukatas closed. Their clothing fell open and their warm, masculine scents mingled in the space between them as they continued their unhurried kissing.

"Would you like me to touch you as well?" Aizen asked, his heart quickening at the smoldering look his words earned.

"You may touch me," Byakuya told him, "But if I tell you to stop, then you must stop."

"Agreed."

Byakuya closed his eyes and let his fingers explore the other man's torso, while he fastened his mouth more firmly on Aizen's and parted his lips. He yielded a light, fluttering sigh as Aizen's warm tongue dipped into his mouth, teasing the surfaces, then sliding in further for a more penetrating exploration. Aizen's hands slid slowly beneath Byakuya's opened yukata, wrapping first around his slender body, then meandering down the length of his back, before caressing his round bottom and squeezing indulgently. His seeking fingers found the noble's entrance and he paused to meet Byakuya's eyes, reading the look of acceptance before beginning a purposeful invasion.

Their kissing intensified a Byakuya's graceful fingers followed the muscular curves of his partner's well toned body, slowing to tease the erect nipples and exacting a desirous growl as he let his fingers tease their way downward, seeking Aizen's ample nether region. Aizen's wanton brown eyes went hazy as Byakuya's hungry mouth left his to follow the path his hands had taken. He laid back against the pillows, running his fingers through the noble's silken black heir, spreading his strong thighs and watching closely as Byakuya continued to explore him. His eyes continued to reflect growing lust and feral hunger until he began to feel his needs become more urgent and swiftly upended his lovely partner.

He rolled Byakuya onto his back, pausing and glaring meaningfully into the Kuchiki heir's momentarily uncertain grey eyes until Byakuya gave a little sigh and a very slight nod to indicate his acceptance. Then, he commenced a slow return of the thorough exploration that Byakuya had given him. He paused as he reached the noble's heated and alert privates and sought Byakuya's eyes again, only to find them glazed over and barely aware. Smiling slyly, Aizen descended on the area, treating every inch of blushing flesh to a tender assault of passionate kisses and indulgent strokes that left the noble sweat misted and nearly breathless, his body weak with desire and unable to resist anymore.

Reading the heightened state of Byakuya's arousal, Aizen crawled slowly back up the length of his body and sought his mouth again, locking eyes warmly with the Kuchiki heir as he positioned himself and entered in measured thrusts, then held their hips still and offered his noble partner another barrage of kisses before beginning to move.

When he did move, Byakuya moved with him, the dark centers of his grey eyes widening and his pale fingers clenching in reaction. He moaned more insistently, his body shaking impatiently as the two approached climax. Although close to the ends of his patience, Aizen held them suspended for several dizzying moments, their eyes locked and their trembling bodies on the very edges of bliss, then a final surge of heavy thrusts sent them tumbling over and crashing into a blinding eruption of mutual bliss. With a pleased groan, Aizen collapsed onto his partner's seed splashed body, leaving them entangled as they closed their eyes and worked to recover their breath.

"Was that more enjoyable for you?" Aizen whispered into the blushing shell of an ear, then he teased it with his tongue.

"It was," Byakuya whispered back, meeting his handsome partner's deeply sated eyes, "I could almost believe that there was more in your heart than a desire for power and continuance."

"I do find you terribly bewitching," Aizen answered appreciatively, "a rather wicked indulgence, Byakuya. Despite knowing better, I do think I am becoming attached to you."

"Hmmm," Byakuya sighed, letting his eyes slide shut, "It is probably just the hormones aroused by my gestation."

"Oh, I don't think so," Aizen sighed, letting his fingers play in the warm fluid that decorated their entwined forms, "You really are enchanting this way. I did used to wonder what it would be like to slowly indulge in you like this, and as gratifying as the daydream was, the reality is even more so."

Byakuya's dark eyes narrowed warningly.

"Do not tease me."

"You doubt my sincerity...but I understand," Aizen sighed sleepily, nuzzling his soft cheek, "There is time to convince you."

"You do not need to convince me of anything, Sousuke," Byakuya chided him, "I accept that our paths have been made one. I am grateful to you for freeing me from that place and for making an effort to connect with me. A consort, even royal, could ask for no more. For us to fall in love is a worthy goal, but it will happen in its own time if it happens at all. Don't feel a need to posture with me."

"Is that what you think this is? You are a more wary soul than I took you for."

"You are a great advocate of wariness, aren't you?" Byakuya mused, "That was...a compliment?"

"Yes, it was."

"Then, thank you."

"You're quite welcome."

The two left off speaking, just breathing slowly and enjoying the warm feel of their still connected bodies and the pleasant scents that lingered around them. Byakuya laced their fingers together, quietly embracing the unusual feeling of connection that had always been missing in his sexual joinings with his Rukongai master and the men who paid for his attentions.

_But I should not allow myself to rely too strongly on this, _he reminded himself, _As much as Sousuke is making an effort, the moment my heart gives in to him, he will undoubtedly break it. He can be charming and seductive, but he is calculating person. He does nothing that does not further his own goals. Because we are bonded and are going to be married, I do want to love him, but it will always be a dangerous thing, loving Sousuke Aizen._

"You look troubled."

"I just feel dizzy. I will be fine."

"Would you like another balancing infusion?"

"No, it's not that. I am just tired."

Rest then," Aizen soothed him, letting his hands wander over the Kuchiki heir's body more slowly, his touches calming rather than provocative, "When we wake again, it will be time to leave for Kuchiki Manor."

He felt Byakuya stiffen slightly, then relax again.

"You don't want to go there, do you?" Aizen whispered, his fingers tracing a porcelain cheek.

"No," Byakuya confessed, "I do not."

"It was a lovely place, a peaceful place. I know you loved the gardens even more than the buildings and all of the riches within. Byakuya, whatever has happened, we can restore your home. With Ywach's defeat, we can rebuild it."

"And what is the point of that?" Byakuya asked softly, "No matter if it is restored, it will never be my home again."

"No," Aizen agreed, caressing Byakuya's lips gently with his, "Your home is here now, with me."

The words sent a shiver through his insides, but Byakuya loosed the tension in a sigh of acceptance and sank more deeply into the other man's arms.

_Sousuke is right._

_For better or for worse, this is my fate._


	7. Ruins

**Chapter 7: Ruins**

"You don't need to be so careful with me, Renji," Tetsuya whispered, tilting his head slightly to offer his lover better access to the lovely, pale skin of his throat, "I've been fully healed. I am not going to break."

"I know that," Renji whispered back, keeping his movements slow as he licked indulgently at the soft flesh, "If what you've already been through didn't kill you, then me loving you isn't going to. But that's not why I'm going slow."

"Oh?"

"No," Renji answered, letting his fingers play in the soft black waves of Tetsuya's tumbled hair, "I'm going slow so I can thank kami for everything good that came back into my life when we found you alive."

"Renji!" Tetsuya whispered, tears coming to the corners of his widened sapphire eyes.

He froze at the intensity in the hardened red-brown eyes that glared meaningfully down into his.

"I missed _everything_ about you, Tetsuya...your big blue eyes, the way your hair flutters when we're out in the wind, these lips that are so much softer than mine, the way you hold on to me while we kiss. I missed the way ol' Fleabag would jolt us when we'd ride him, and I'd always have to hold on to you...cause I love having my arms around you. I missed how your voice sounds, whether we're just walking in the gardens sharing stories, sharing a slow dance down at the dance club and you whisper in my ear, or how it sounds when we're making love and you give that little sigh you always do before you climax. I missed everything about you and I made a promise to myself that if the gods ever heard my prayers and brought you back to me, I would never, _ever_ let you get away from me again! And I won't. I promise, Tetsuya, I won't. I'm going to marry you and you're never gonna leave me again!"

Renji suddenly released Tetsuya and rolled to his feet. The blue-eyed noble looked up at him in surprise as he hastily tied his yukata closed, then extended a hand and took hold of Tetsuya's.

"Renji, what are you...?"

"Come on!" Renji said, pulling him out of the bed and fastening the tie at his waist, "Byakuya's still your leader, ne?"

"W-well, yes, of course," Tetsuya confirmed, "But..."

"Then, he can marry us. Come on!"

"B-but Renji, I don't..."

"What?" the redhead asked, smirking, "You don't wanna marry me? After all I went through to find you again? You're gonna turn me down?"

"No!" Tetsuya insisted, stifling a laugh, "But we're minutes from leaving for Kuchiki Manor. I'm sure Byakuya and the others are far too busy to just drop everything and marry us."

"Will you be quiet and come with me?" Renji chuckled, dragging the younger Kuchiki out the bedroom door.

They passed through the quiet hallway and heard the sound of soft voices in the kitchen. Renji gave a knowing grin and tugged Tetsuya into the kitchen entrance. The two stopped in the doorway as the men at the table looked up at them.

"Renji? Tetsuya?" Urahara said, looking surprised, "I thought you two would be resting. We're going to be leaving soon."

"Yeah, I know that," Renji said, nodding, "But there's something I need to talk to Captain...erm, Byakuya about...and it can't wait."

Byakuya's dark eyes met Renji's curiously.

"What is it, Abarai? Is Tetsuya all right? He wasn't hurt worse than..."

"No, no, Tetsuya and I are both fine," Renji assured him, "But the thing is, I want to marry your cousin. I want to marry Tetsuya, right now! I know there are rules about getting the leader's permission and having a clan elder perform the ceremony, but that works because you told me before the leader is considered an elder, and..."

"Renji," Byakuya said, stopping the redhead mid-sentence.

"Aw, please don't tell me that me being a commoner is gonna be a problem or something," Renji pleaded.

"No, of course not," Byakuya managed, his eyes clouding, "You have more than been a protector of the clan, and Tetsuya is a half-blood, so the clan wouldn't concern itself with who he chose to marry."

"Then, it's settled. You can marry us, right? You're the clan leader."

"Yes, I am. I mean, I was. But we are..."

"You're what?" Renji asked, looking confused, "Byakuya..."

Byakuya stood and glanced back at the others seated at the table, then walked to Renji and took his former vice captain's hand in his.

"Renji," he said quietly, "You are a fine protector and a true friend to the Kuchiki family. You are more than worthy of my cousin's hand. But...I cannot marry you."

"Why not?" Renji asked, giving him a bewildered look, "Do I have to ask someone else too? I don't understand. I just want to marry Tetsuya. And you said you approve, so what's the problem?"

"The problem is that the noble clans were given all of their powers and rights by the king," Byakuya explained, "When Reio fell, those rights were revoked and Ywach ordered the noble families to be executed. You must understand, that means that there are no more clans, no more leaders, just like there are no more captains, no more Gotei 13."

There was a moment of perfect silence, then anger flared suddenly in Renji's eyes and he gave the surprised noble a look of challenge.

"Bullshit!" he exclaimed, glaring into Byakuya's widened eyes.

He jabbed a finger in Aizen's direction.

"The blood in that guy's veins says that there's still a rightful king to fight for and the fact that _you_ are standing in front of me tells me that Ywach hasn't killed all of the nobles! You're talking like it's all over, but we're all still fighting here! What the hell is _wrong _with you, Captain? Are you still blind? Cause you're not seeing what you need to be seeing!"

He paused, his heart pounding madly and his face flushing with emotion as he caught sight of the way the others were looking at them.

"I know you were hurt, Byakuya. We _all_ were hurt. We all got humiliated by that fucking lowlife turned king! But the _captain_ I served didn't teach me to just give in when we lost a battle, and the _clan leader_ who yanked Tetsuya out of the noble's prison as a mere teenager did not teach him to throw in the towel just because we all got fucking dragged through the mud!"

"Renji, stop!" Tetsuya gasped, his face going pale, "Don't speak to him like that! How dare you...?"

"No, Tetsuya," Aizen said quietly, coming to his feet and moving to Byakuya's side, "I think he needs to hear this. Let Renji say what he needs to say."

Renji paused for a moment, his hand still in the stricken noble's and mingled anger and sadness colliding in his heaving chest.

"Byakuya," he said finally, forcing down his blazing reiatsu with an effort, "when you and I met, I wasn't your friend. I didn't even like you. No, worse, I hated you because of who you are. I was trash from the Rukongai, who couldn't offer my friend, Rukia, anything, but you were a noble, a leader. You could give her everything I wanted to. Yeah, I hated you for that! And in my head, I thought that you weren't really anything more than a man, a really powerful man. And if I could beat you, then that would prove you weren't better than me."

"Renji..."

"Shut up and listen, will you!" the redhead shouted, "I worked my ass off, going to anyone and everyone who would teach me anything! I took a place near you so that I could learn from you, all for the purpose of beating you. And when Rukia was sentenced to death, I threw everything I had at you and you just about shredded me. But then something happened that changed everything."

Byakuya froze as Renji's hand slipped beneath his yukata and untied something that had been carefully wound around his waist. The Kuchiki heir's breath left him completely as the redhead withdrew the pale, bloodstained scarf that had preceded the more silvery ginpaku kazahana no uzuginu. Byakuya stared, entranced as Renji took a steadying breath and continued.

"You laid this over me after our battle, and you and I both know what you were saying to me. It was a sign of respect. And it meant everything to me. After that day, I put this around my waist and I wore it every day...every day while you continued to mentor me, every day while you got after me and told me to have more pride in myself, every day as I got stronger and stronger. I didn't hate you anymore, even though you were still a noble prince and you were still more powerful than me. None of that mattered because that day, you didn't look at me like I was a Rukongai dog. You were proud of what I'd done and you wanted to see me get stronger, as much as I wanted to be stronger. When you looked at me that day, you looked at me with the eyes of a friend and comrade. Everything changed then. I wasn't your enemy and you weren't that untouchable noble brat I thought you were. I really became your vice captain at heart that day, and after that, nothing was more important to me than your protection."

"Yes," Byakuya managed softly, "since that time, you have been my protector and my friend."

"That's why you need to listen to me," Renji said urgently, turning over the hand he held and laying the soft scarf over Byakuya's pale palm, "Think about this...and think hard, because it really matters. Do you remember watching me fall into that pool of my own blood?"

"Renji..." Byakuya whispered, holding his breath and closing his eyes.

"I remember everything about that day. I can still feel every slash on my skin and I can smell the blood. And I'll bet that there's a day like that you remember, isn't there? That day when everything fell apart..."

"Renji, that is enough," Byakuya warned him, anger coming into his voice.

"No," Aizen said firmly, slipping an arm around his waist from behind and capturing the hand that tried to return the silken scarf to Renji's possession, "It is not enough by half. Finish what you were saying, Renji."

"Let go of me!" Byakuya snapped.

"Let go of him!" Rukia shouted, coming to her feet.

"Whoa, hold on," Kisuke soothed her, coaxing her back into her chair, "I know it looks bad, but I think he's trying to help."

"Go on, Renji," Aizen urged the redhead.

Renji took a breath and released it in a long sigh.

"Byakuya, we all have a day when we think we're hitting bottom, when it seems like things can't get any worse and we think it can't possibly get any better. For me, it was the day you almost killed me. For you, it was the day that the evacuation compound was attacked and you were forced by the elders to leave them behind."

Byakuya's dark eyes lifted very slightly, just meeting Renji's as he continued.

"You fell into the deepest, darkest hole in the Rukongai and you lost everything. You were forced to do unthinkable things, just to survive. But there was something still there. It's the reason why your kin forced you to leave them. It's what helped you survive and it's what's going to give you back what you lost."

"And what is that?" Byakuya asked in low, defeated voice.

"Just like I didn't die on my worst day, you didn't die on your worst day. And just like I found the pride inside myself to pick myself up and go on, there's still that pride in you, as a son of the greatest of the noble clans that's screaming at you to get up and move on. There is still a king for fight for. Kisuke says that there are survivors of your clan out there, waiting for you to come back to them. And the other captains of the Gotei? Some of them are still out there raising hell and fighting. All you're missing is what I saw in you that made me love you, even when I hated you. Do you know what that is?"

Byakuya stared back at him silently, the word on the tip of his tongue, but not daring to be spoken.

"It's what makes you strong," Renji said, reaching up with one rough hand and placing it on Byakuya's very pale face, "It's not the strength itself, but something inside you that finds your strength, even when you don't think there's any left. It's what made you save Rukia in the end, what made you come back from near death when As Nodt almost killed you, and it's what's going to give you the strength to stand in front of your family with those eyes that say you are their leader."

"Resolve," Byakuya whispered, his eyes darkening until the grey seemed almost black.

"Yeah," Renji agreed, giving the noble a more friendly smile, "Everyone of us in this room had to find it to stay alive to reach this point. And that's what you need to have if you want us to win this thing. We can fight our hardest, but we don't have a chance if you've already given up. We need you to win. But we need you to believe we can."

"But how can I, after everything that's happened?" Byakuya asked softly, lowering his eyes again, "The quincy king hunts me, the Gotei and Seireitei are in ruins and my family is scattered and in hiding. What makes you think that me going back to them is going to change anything when I couldn't save them before?"

"What made a mere human boy from the living world think he could defy the powers of Soul Society and save your sister?" Aizen breathed into his ear, "What made Renji think that a mere monkey could ever touch the moon? What is it that preserved you when Ywach sent his soldiers to every corner of the three worlds hunting you? We have all we need to win, but Renji is right. If you are to play your part, then you need to believe we can win."

"I am trying, Sousuke!" Byakuya said insistently, "I will keep trying."

"That is all that we ask of you," Aizen answered, kissing the shell of an ear, "Now, why don't you marry those two?"

"No," Renji said, retracting his extended hand and glancing back at Tetsuya for a moment, "Tetsuya and I will wait until you're ready. When you can look at me like you did on the day of our battle, I'll know it's time."

"Very well, Abarai," Byakuya sighed, "And thank you. Sousuke was right. I needed to hear what you had to say. And if you still believe so strongly in me, I will do everything I can, so as not to disappoint you."

"Then you'll be fine...Captain Kuchiki."

Byakuya looked back at him quietly, swallowing the instant objection the words conjured.

_Renji is right._

_Even if Ywach has defeated the Gotei 13, some of the captains still live and fight. And even though Ywach has beaten us down, the sons of the noble houses survive and can still fight him._

_We haven't lost._

"I think we should go," Byakuya said finally, "We should leave now."

"Well," Kisuke said, smiling, "we're all ready. If no one's got an objection, let's do it."

The group left the kitchen and made their way down into the underground training area, where Tessai, Jinta and Ururu waited near an opened senkaimon.

"Be careful, Mr. Kisuke!" Ururu pleaded, hugging the shopkeeper, "And please find Ichigo. I hope he's all right."

"I'll find Ichigo," Kisuke promised, "Don't you worry."

"But she's right. You should be careful, Boss," Tessai added, taking Kisuke's hand warmly, "I wish I could go with you."

"I wish you could too. But you have to keep this place safe, whatever happens. Survivors need a safe haven. We may need this one again, so it's got to be protected."

"Of course. I'll keep it safe, Boss."

"Thanks."

The group gathered in front of the senkaimon, Kisuke and Rukia at the front, followed by Aizen, who held an arm around Byakuya as they walked, and trailed by Tetsuya and Renji.

"Say goodbye to the oblivion, folks," the shopkeeper said, stepping into the precipice world, "And remember, out here, the only protection we have is Aizen's transcendent power. If we lose that, we've lost it all."

"Cheery, isn't he?" Renji commented, stealing a kiss and nudging Tetsuya into the dangai.

The six proceeded quietly through the darkness, the soft scrape of their feet barely audible. Occasional sounds of water dripping and echoes of footsteps reached them, but they moved forward without challenge. They emerged several hours later into a small meadow at the base of a tall, splashing waterfall. At the sight of it, Byakuya sucked in an unsteady breath and went still.

"Sousuke, this is on estate grounds!" he exclaimed.

"It's so odd," Tetsuya mused, "It's just like it was."

"We are a short walk form the manor," Kisuke explained, "It was safer, I thought, to not just open the senkaimon and drop into what might be a guarded area."

"Probably wise," Aizen observed.

The group moved past the lake at the base of the falls and ascended a set of switchbacks that led to a weed choked forest trail.

"This leads back to the manor," Byakuya informed them, moving to the front of the group.

They continued through the forest, marveling at how the birdsong around them made everything seem so peaceful, despite all that had happened. Occasional shouts and soft rumbles in the distance warned them that the fighting was still going on nearby.

They emerged out of the forest and reached a shattered wooden gate, where Byakuya froze like a statue, staring in at what had been Kuchiki Manor and the most famed and lovely gardens of the Seireitei.

Only the charred bones of the buildings stood, dotting the blackened ground. Not a blade of grass grew where the ground had been overturned and scorched in the fighting and plundering. Broken concrete littered the area where the koi ponds had been and dead sakura and plum trees were scattered all around.

Byakuya's dark eyes closed for a moment against the sight.

"It's horrible!" Tetsuya whispered, a tear running down his face as Renji wrapped a bracing arm around him.

"I can't believe this," Rukia said numbly.

"Ywach was determined to destroy the noble clans, the servants and protectors of the former king," Byakuya said solemnly.

He took a step away from Aizen, then turned back to look into his eyes.

"He was wrong to think we would lay down and die," the Kuchiki heir added, taking another step forward and dropping onto his knees.

"Uh, Byakuya," Kisuke said anxiously, "You're not going to..."

The shopkeeper stiffened as a soft flare of power coalesced around Byakuya's extended hands.

"Okay, he _is_ going to..." he amended himself, "Sousuke...?"

"I won't let it be sensed," Aizen promised, watching raptly as the ground began to rumble and pink reiatsu swelled around the kneeling Kuchiki heir.

"Ywach only needs a hint that Byakuya's alive and here and we will _really_ be in trouble!" Kisuke insisted.

"Be quiet," Aizen said, smirking, "I told you, Ywach won't sense him."

The rumbling increased to ground shaking and the turned earth began to right itself. White light flashed and the burnt ground was healed and restored to the deep black soil that had been there before. Small shoots of grass erupted from the ground and the tendrils of growing flowers emerged at their edges. The dead trees crumbled, and in each of their places, new saplings rose up out of the ground and slowly blossomed. Within minutes, the dead gardens had been transformed, and the only reminder of the holocaust that had taken place were the broken bones of the old buildings.

Byakuya loosed a soft sigh and rose, his dark eyes looking out over the restored gardens.

"I am sorry," he apologized, "I know it was risky..."

"But," Aizen said, returning to his side and curling an arm around him, "It needed to be done. Come now, we should move to the archive, where it will be safer."

Byakuya led them across the newly regrown grass to one of the collapsed and blackened areas of the old buildings. He paused and extended a hand and the image of a sakura blossom appeared on the back of his hand. In front of him, the air seemed to shimmer and a large oaken door appeared and swung open.

Byakuya stepped through the doorway with the others in his wake and move into the archive.

The others stared at the huge and richly decorated interior, the endless rows of books and lovely displays of artifacts the family had been given for protection.

"This archive was entrusted to our family," Byakuya said softly, "by the first incarnation of the soul king, who took the first Kuchiki as his consort. The Kuchiki family was charged with the possession and protection of the history of the realms."

He started to say more, but paused and stared as a footstep sounded ahead of them and a tall, aged man appeared.

"Head Elder Nori!" Tetsuya gasped in disbelief, grabbing Renji tightly.

The old man approached Byakuya and stood, gazing into the Kuchiki heir's widened eyes.

"Nori," Byakuya whispered.

"It is you!" the old man breathed in a sigh of relief, "You're alive! You've come back!"

"I am here," Byakuya assured him, "But...?"

The Kuchiki leader watched in stunned silence as flash steps sounded and the rows and recesses of the huge archive began to swell with more people.

"I told them not to appear until we are sure," the elder explained, "We are supposed to be safe here, but nothing can be certain in times like these."

He looked back at the gathered clan members and then turned back to face Byakuya.

"We were able to save two hundred and fifty-six of our brothers and sisters," Nori informed them, "And when we arrived in the archive, we found something else."

The sea of bodies parted and the elder led the group into one of the recesses, where a ginger-haired man laid unconscious in a bed.

"Ichigo!" Kisuke exclaimed, flash stepping forward, "How in kami's name did he get in here?"

"We don't know," Nori confessed, "We found him lying on the archive floor and unconscious, as you see him. He is alive, but we can't wake him...but he was carrying this."

Nori reached into his robes and withdrew a large, faceted prism.

"I'll be damned!" Kisuke whispered, his face going white, "The king's prism!"


End file.
